SWAS (Submillimeter Wave Astronomy Satellite)
is doing very well and is conducting new science
observations every day. It was
launched December 5 1998 from
Vandenburg AFB
in California on a Pegasus XL rocket
built by
Orbital Science Corporation. At that time most of
the SWAS team was supporting launch from
Goddard Space Flight Center
in Greenbelt, MD. Participating in the launch
was an intense, very emotional
experience. Here are some snapshots taken of us in the
Goddard operations center during that time.
A group of us clustering around the intercom (squawk box) listening
closely during the first launch attempt. What you see in the movies
is surprisingly accurate -- NASA launch controllers really do
talk like that! We followed them through each step of
the launch procedure. At right you can see the L1011 taking off with SWAS
slung under its belly.
Ted Bergin awaiting the unfolding of events during the first
launch attempt. The
carrier aircraft was in the air en route
to the launch point (here you see it having just taken off) but launch was eventually
scrubbed due to a problem with spacecraft navigational telemetry.
Two days later, weather problems (high wind speeds at the
launch site) would also abort the second launch attempt.
The third attempt was successful. What a relief!
Two days later, after most of the initial orbit checkout procedures
were completed, we began our search for the SWAS beam. After a day
and a half of hard work, we found it! That was a watershed event,
marking the point when SWAS could begin science observations.
Zhong Wang offers his congratulations while Steve Kleiner puts the
final touches on our observing plans.
